Training & Meeting Industry Insights

Training Tips to Teach "Monster" Learners in the Corporate Classroom

By: Victor Trainenstein

10/31/2018

It is Halloween season. But corporate training pros, especially instructors, know one thing can be scary at any time: NIghtmare Learners!

Werewolves stalk beneath a full moon, trios of witches brew poison in cauldrons, and Loch Ness has a hidden inhabitant. Monsters are not a new motif in our popular culture. But in the training industry there are a unique range of species of monsters. They can haunt classes, corporate trainers, instructors, L&D staff and anyone within screaming distance of an education venue. They are "Monster Training Participants."

Many instructors can regale you with stories of their confrontations with Monster Training Participants (MTPs), breaking into a cold sweat recalling the first time they found themselves trapped in a room with a terrifying trainee.

A haunting MicroTek study has uncovered four different species of these learning monsters, and we've come up with proverbial brews and concoctions of a training plan to defend against them.

The Ancient Mummy

The mummy is from another time, far removed from the era we know. While they may have been the king in the old days, they don’t know how to cope with the new technology that surrounds them. They can lash out angrily at computers, striking terror into the hearts of their nearby fellow participants. It’s not only that they are incapable of technological advancement, but they are sometimes unwilling to even try.

The Defense:To break the curse of mummified learning, assess your participants’ technological aptitude early on. Identify potential mummies and plan on being close-at-hand when difficult technological tasks are approaching. It’s important to ensure that all learners are moving forward, but don’t let a single mummy drag the entire group into the dark ages.

The Zonked-Out Zombie

The zombie staggers into the training, dragging their feet and showing little evidence of life. They mutter unintelligible phrases, hinting at the intellect that must have once existed underneath the surface. They come in with ragged clothes and an unkempt appearance, complete with deep circles underneath their eyes. What’s worse, you begin to notice their un-dead state spreading to everyone around them. If you don’t stop it soon, you’ll have a problem of apocalyptic proportions.

The Defense:To resurrect your zombie learners, bring them into the fold of conversations. Engage them early and often and, if they refuse to participate, wait out the silence. While it’s important toengage everyone in the room, trust your instincts to determine when a zombie can be resurrected or when it should be allowed to drift away. Remember, however, that some zombie conditions can be contagious.

The Learning-Sucking Vampire

The vampire has wandered the Earth in ways that no one else has, and they make sure you know it. They have plenty of odd and arcane knowledge, which their unique perspective has allowed them. The longer they’re around, you can feel the life being sucked out of the training. Unfortunately, when they look in the mirror, the vampire won’t see a monster at all. The vampire seizes control from you and there is no sunrise in sight.

The Defense:To stake your claim as leader of the training, acknowledge the vampire’s opinion, then ask for others. While the vampire has legitimate knowledge to share, remember that the instructor is in control of the room. It’s okay to let the vampire’s hand hang in the air, while waiting for others to respond. Once the class sees that other voices are being heard, they will be more likely to offer their own. If that doesn’t work, add a little garlic to your lunch.

The Intangible Spirit

You know the spirit is in the room, but you can barely tell. Sometimes you catch sight of them from the corner of your eye, but when you turn they’ve vanished. You can hear their voice from the hall, communicating to those in a faraway land. Whenever you do see them, they’re distant and inaccessible, like the words you are speaking aren’t even in the their dimension. They’re half-existing in a far-away world that you can’t hope to reach.

The Defense:To put absent spirits to rest, establish rules early on for conduct in the class.Plan specific timesfor participants to check their e-mails and take breaks, so learners feel less compelled to check their phone or e-mail during class. If the problem persists, ask the participant specifically what’s going on. You may learn a compelling reason for the absence or you will let your participant know that they’re intangibility is being noticed—you might bring a learner back from the spiritual realm.

Instructors, and even fellow learners, live in fear every day that they’ll find themselves in a room with a learning monster. You, as the instructor, are capable of battling the monsters you find in your classroom. Equip yourself with thetools necessaryto survive the next time you find yourself in a room with a training terror.